Patent document JP-A-2004291838 describes a tank for windshield washing fluid formed from a tubular portion with accordion folds closed at its ends by a front wall and a rear wall, such that it can contract in the front-rear direction without breaking when it receives an impact. The solution described in this patent imposes an arrangement for assembling the tank in the engine compartment, or a very specific application and it does not describe or suggest that the tubular portion with accordion folds can adopt a compact, stable retracted position that is suitable for saving space during storage or transport, for example.
Patent document EP-A-1571047 describes a tank for windshield washing fluid constructed from a first rigid main tank portion, in which there is arranged a pump for driving the fluid, extended by a second expandable auxiliary tank portion provided with accordion folds. The two rigid and expandable tank portions are supported on a rack with a suitable extensible part for adapting the expansion or retraction of the auxiliary tank portion in relation to the main tank portion, providing a tank with a variable volume. The proposed solution again imposes a very specific and/or limited location area or arrangement in the engine compartment and does not describe or suggest that the accordion folds allow the auxiliary tank portion to adopt a compact, stable retracted position, and does not provide or suggest a flexible structure which can adapt to reduced non-linear spaces.
Patent document JP-A-62286863 describes a rigid tank for detergent fluid in a vehicle. The rigid tank is provided with a filling tube with a wall formed by a plurality of accordion folds providing it with flexibility. The flexible filling tube does not act as a tank rather it only has the function of leading the fluid from the filling opening to the rigid tank during a filling operation.
The structure of a tube with folds in the form of an accordion is known, although in other fields of the art, patent documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,510 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,191 being among them. The mentioned patents describe several applications, for example, such as a flexible connecting tube, a trap drain, a retractable neck for a container (in a manner similar to the aforementioned JP patent document), and even a body of a folding container with a small height; However, these patent documents do not describe or suggest such an adjustable structure in association to a pump for the construction of a suitable flexible elongated tank for containing windshield or headlight washing fluid in a vehicle.
Patent document DE-A-19811019 relates to a conduit for windshield washing fluid comprising a manifold with several corrugated portions separated by several smooth sections and with leak-tight coupling means associated to both ends. Like other background documents, it always describes the fluid guiding or circulating functionality through the mentioned conduit and by no means does it describe its possible use for fluid storage and its possible association to a pump.
The present invention provides a new structure concept for a windshield or headlight washing fluid tank or container that is especially favorable as regards manufacturing, logistics and assembly in a vehicle engine compartment.